0.5
Minimum drop below average in Pacific Ocean surface temperature (in degrees Celsius) that defines La Niña, a climatic variation that often leads to a colder, wetter winter in the Pacific Northwest
50
Approximate percentage of current climate models that predict a “strong” La Niña this winter
430
Inches of snow at Mt Hood Meadows during an average year
800
Inches of snow at Meadows during the La Niña–affected winter of 2007–08
2
Number of weeks Mount Bachelor ski area plans to extend its season this year
2.7
Drop below average in Portland temperatures (in degrees Fahrenheit) during the winter of 2008–09, the end of a “moderate” La Niña cycle
18.9
Inches of snowfall in Portland in December 2008, the current record
337,000
Estimated city parking-meter revenue, in dollars, lost in December 2008
1
Millisecond lost each day as the Earth speeds up to compensate for the slower jet stream caused by La Niña’s cooler ocean temperatures
Published in the Best Bars issue of Portland Monthly.
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